In the concrete industry, it common for mixing cement with water and aggregate in a batch mixer. A common construction of a batch mixer comprises a drum supported for rotation about a respective longitudinal axis extending between an inlet opening at an inlet end of the drum and an outlet opening at an outlet end of the drum. A charging chute and a discharge chute communicate with the inlet opening and outlet opening respectively. An arrangement of blades supported within the drum serve to mix the material in the drum when the drum is rotated in a first mixing direction and serve to transfer the material from the inlet end to the outlet end for discharging through the discharge chute when rotated in an opposing transfer direction.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,429,434 and 5,380,085, both belonging to Milek, and U.S. Pat. No. 4,403,865 belonging to Fejmert, disclose examples of concrete batch mixers generally of the type described above. In these typical designs of batch mixers, very little access is typically provided to the interior of the drum for maintenance of the blades therein for example. The only access is typically provided through either the inlet opening or the outlet opening of the drum which generally comprises a small opening obstructed by either the respective inlet charging chute or discharge chute.
In some concrete batch mixers, the charging chute is known to be supported on a slide for sliding movement generally along the axis of rotation of the drum towards and away from the inlet end of the drum. Accordingly when the inlet chute is slid away from the drum some limited access is provided between the chute and the drum to enter through the inlet opening. A large cumbersome frame is required however to support the sliding chute which further blocks access to the inlet opening and the hollow interior of the drum.